Gasol says he felt 'pop' in right foot

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The sore plantar fascia Pau Gasol has been managing since Christmas worsened lately but then actually improved the past two days.

Then he said he tweaked it early in the game Tuesday, and it got worse and worse as the game went on, which he said limited his ability to finish moves or shots as he kept coming up short on plays. Then came the big blow.

When Gasol tried to summon shot-blocking vertical as Brooklyn's Brook Lopez drove the lane with 4:21 to play, Gasol felt "a pop" in his right foot.

"Just as I took off," Gasol said, "I felt a pop on the bottom of my foot, on the fascia, and I couldn't get up. ... I'm worried about it."

Gasol said he's "uncertain" now and trying to draw any conclusions before his MRI today in Boston. He said "this is something different" than the plantar fasciitis he has been navigating.

HOWARD 'NOT IN RUSH'

With Gasol suffering what could be a serious foot injury, there is even more urgency for Dwight Howard to play through the pain of a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

The Lakers have won three consecutive games with Gasol starting in Howard's place at center since Howard aggravated his shoulder. By sitting out, Howard is hoping for the pain to subside -- even though the tear is not understood to heal with mere rest.

Howard gave no indication Tuesday if he would play Thursday in Boston.

"It's improving, but I'm not in any rush," Howard said. "I don't want to reinjure it. Got to make sure it heals up."

Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant made his most pointed comments after the Lakers' victory about how Howard has not had many non-debilitating injuries to deal with during his career – and therefore hasn't learned how to manage pain.

"It's a new experience for him," said Bryant, who played 10 playoff games with a torn labrum in 2003.

Bryant said having injuries to play through has taught him how to play in pain.

"When you go through those things, you learn your body," Bryant said.

BRYANT ELBOW 'SORE'

Bryant had an electric stimulation unit attached to the inside of his right forearm after shootaround Tuesday in New York. Asked about it, Bryant said dismissively it was "a little sore."

Bryant said it might be elbow tendinitis but "I don't even know." The Lakers deemed it a sprained right elbow.

Bryant shot worse than 42 percent from the field in each of the past four games, including 1 for 14 on 3-pointers, entering the game Tuesday in Brooklyn. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said the discomfort has contributed to Bryant's shot being off lately.

Bryant played Tuesday despite the injury – the Lakers were already missing Howard (shoulder) and Metta World Peace (NBA suspension) -- and used a heating pad on the arm periodically, including right before tip-off to begin the first half and again the second half.

WORLD PEACE OUT

World Peace was suspended one game by the NBA on Tuesday for "grabbing Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons around the neck and striking him in the jaw" in a tussle Sunday.

World Peace was assessed a flagrant foul for the second-quarter play with Knight, who was trying to hold World Peace off for rebounding position.

World Peace said after the game that Knight was a "tough kid" – although he didn't know what school (Kentucky) he went to or whether he played point guard or shooting guard.